Antiseptic fluid for embalming



UNITED STATES. I

PATENT SOFFICEQI MAX HUNCKE, OF WESTPOR'I, CONNEOTICU T, ASSIGNOR TO THE EMBALMERS SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEIV JERSEY.

ANTISEPTIC FLUID FOR EMBALMING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 498,350, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed January 13, 1892- Serial No. 417,977. (No specimens.)

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, MAX HUNCKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wes'tport,

Fairfield county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antiseptic Fluids; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit apper'tains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to anti-septic compounds and its novelty consists in the nature of the ingredients employed and their combination to effect the purpose desired.

Heretofore the embalming of corpses and the preservation of animal flesh has been effected usually by the employment of the salts of arsenic, copper and other poisonous metals. In the embalming of human bodies, the use of such salts in solution is peculiarly objectionable because the previous presence of active poisons, which may have been used maliciously to cause the death of the subject operated upon, can not be then satisfactorily determined or legal evidence secured to convict the persons guilty of its criminal administration.

The object of my invention is to produce a substance in fluid form and of a non-poisonous nature which can be injected into a human corpse and which will sucessfully preserve it from decomposition for the usual length of time desired, and without the unsightly distension of the body, and at the same time allow the brains or intestines to remain within the subject.

In the course of many experiments made to successfully accomplish the desired object, I discovered that it was necessary to use materials which would take up the free oxygen surrounding the organs of the body and formed within it as a product of decomposition, and also to prevent further fermentation, and at the same time, one which would not develop within the body gases causing any pronounced or visible distension.

As a result of my experiments I have found that the following formula will produce a fluid which will eflect the object of my investigations, to wit: To ten parts of the bisulphite of potash, soda, or lime,'I add five parts of the sulphite'of'alumina and one partof .the sulpnite of lime, the last. two ingredients named'having previously been dissolved in an aqueous solution of sulphurous acid, so that there is a slight excess of freeacid after solution occurs. To'the resulting solution are added from fifty to one hundred parts of water, as circumstances may require. If the body to be operated upon already shows'signs of decomposition, a slightly greater excess of free sulphurous acid may be advantageously employed. v

I am'aw'are that sulphites and bisulphites of the alkalies'or alkaline earths have been 6 used for embalming purposes, but in advanced cases of decomposition the absorption V of the gases by the use of these substances alone'is too slow entirely to prevent or check its progress. I also know that sulphurous e acid either in a gaseous or liquid form has been employed for this purpose, but owing to the volatile nature of the acid the use of this alone is not lasting enough to interrupt the process of decay for any length of time with- 7 5 out repeated and frequent applications. "Besides the acid has a tendency to inflate the parts. But by mixing the bisulphites with the sulphites dissolved in a solution of sulphurous acid so that there is an excess of free So acid after solution takes place a compound will be obtained by which the most obstinate cases of advanced states of decomposition may be promptly controlled and be checked for the usual length of time without repeated and frequent injections. By the presence of the free sulphurous acid bisulphates will be formed whenever an excess of the oxygen is encountered and before the resulting change to sulphate takes place so that the action of the thus freshly produced or nascent bisulphite will be quicker and more salient than when formed before they are introduced into the body. The function of the bisulphite included originally is mainly to preserve the 5 undecayed matter by checking or destroying the germs of fermentation, whilethe function of that formed within the body is to rapidly and completely absorb or reduce the Water, in substantially the proportions specixo gases given oft by any decomposing matter. fied.

Having described my invention, what I In testimony whereofIafiix mysignaturein claim as new ispresence of two witnesses.

5 The herein described antiseptic fluid for 7 1 embalming purposes, the same composed of I MAL HUNCKE" bisulphite of potash, soda, or lime, sulphite \Vitnesses: of alumina and sulphite of lime dissolved in WM. RAIMOND BAIRD, an aqueous solution of snlphurous acid, and JAMES P. DOWNS. 

